Cedarock Park  

 "Preserving Our Heritage Festival"

The Burlington Checker Club participated in the Alamance Co. Cedarock Park - "Preserving Our Heritage Festival" 
Saturday, August 23rd, 2014  9am - 5pm
Good Attendance - Everyone enjoy this fun, family-friendly event.

Results:

Saturday, August 23rd was a humid sunny 63° morning at 6:00AM. It warmed up to 72° by 8:00AM and continued humid with 40% chance of showers. The temperature was 81° by mid-day. We were set up and waiting for the crowd to start arriving at 9:00AM which seemed slow but picked up about 10:00AM.  The C & J Bluegrass Band from Mebane performed at Cedarock Park - "Preserving Our Heritage Festival" and was an excellent choice as usually. They were setting the tempo for a wonderful fun, family, friendly event with their excellent selections of great gospel / bluegrass. We were set up under out tent under shade which is provided by a good selection of hardwood on this old home farm plantation property. We enjoyed a pleasantly light breeze occasionally. I thought we had a good crowd of folks attending the "Preserving Our Heritage Festival" and there were about the same events this year as last year.  I noticed the Sons of Confederate Veterans - Camp 813 and the United Daughters of the Confederacy Chapter 944 both from the Mebane area. SCV were again participants this year and some 6-7 don their Civil War enactment uniforms with their rifles. They had a nice display of memorabilia and literature. They have a Civil War Living History Encampment and Lantern Tour scheduled for October this year. There was a Chapel Hill Historian with his musket, rifle, and musket-rifle collection, both real and replicate models. All the heritage theme events were dressed in circa clothing. Blacksmithing, Candle making, Soap making, Washing clothes with washboards, copper and iron wash pots boiling water, Wool processing from cleaning & washing, carding to spinning. Basket Weaving with long leaf pine needles, grass, etc. Chair seat caning with oak splits. Dairy display with antique milk, cream, & cheese making tools and equipment. Wooden tools, utensils, and furniture. Quilting & quilt pattern designs, Chair seat-weaving as caning, rush, splint, & cord. Arts and Crafts, picture framing, etc. The Banjo, sting musical instrument guy was there. There was a display of walnut and cedar benches, swings, and Adirondack chairs. Friends of Cedarock Park - "Preserving Our Heritage" were set up under a large tent.  There was a corn shelling and corn mill grinder demonstrations and kids could take a sandwich bag of their corn and feed the animals.

This year we had the regular festival attendance and about the same food vendors, exhibitors, and participants than were here last year. Of course there was the main exhibitors, band, food vendors, antique cars, trucks, tractors, equipment, and the "hit & miss" engine folks that show every year. The have the old farm tools, equipment, and  antiques Cedarock Museum open to the public. The Cedarock Park Management that organizes this event try to have a variety of exhibitors and display participants for the "Preserving Our Heritage Festival" theme.  In the original restored John and Polly Garrett cabin they were demonstrating fireplace cooking and you could sample stew, cornbread, and ham. The old farm house was open for public touring.

"The Grand Ole Game" which fits nicely into the "Preserving Our Heritage Festival" theme, has been a continuous exhibit participant for 7 years, since 2008.  We had our canopy tent, and banner on display advertising next year's State Checker Tournament and our local Checker Club. We think by sharing our past family entertainment it will keep this traditionally wholesome mind game alive.  Its another way to promote checkers and preserve this wonderful game.

We got our rain show around 1:00PM which was a pretty good down pour. Thank goodness we could gather under the canopy.  It cleared up and sun was back out by 2:00PM but the humidity was really high and I noticed the fellows in the bee cage were getting a few stings.  Bees don't like to be disturbed on cloudy and rainy days.

We entertained many kids by letting them play checkers amongst themselves.  Parents would watch and let their children participate as they passed along the runway throughout the day from one event to another. I took some pictures which you may access below.  Terry Isley, park manager: call 570-6759 for more information.

The Heritage Festival was advertised as a Saturday, one day event, schedule for the public from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.  Vendors, Exhibitors, and Participants where good and so was the general festival attendance as compared to past festivals. We had a good turn out.  I understand they keep adding buildings, items, another new disc golf course is in the planning, they already have 2 or 3. A historical farm museum building was added some years ago to the John and Polly Garrett Historical Farm grounds and the park is very nice and an ideal location for this festival.

This wrapped up checkers for the Preserving Our Heritage Festival this year.  Hopefully next year we will be there in good numbers, with canopy tents, banner, display, and the works.

2014 Tournament Dates  |  2014 Pictures |  2013 Pictures  |  2011 Burlington Checker Club & Festival Pictures  |  2010 Burlington Checker Club & Festival Pictures